Global logistics market is expected to reach US$15.5 trillion by 2023 but many companies loss billions of dollars because of improper handling, theft and tracking problems. Especially when high value goods are transported there is a need to monitor their condition because they can be affected by the environmental changes that might be harmful or due to any dangerous mechanical conditions during transportation. Real time condition monitoring applications serve the purpose of providing alerts, analytics and reports of these harmful or dangerous conditions to ensure that goods are transported without any damage or with minimal damage. This thesis considers how to combine software and hardware solution to monitor different conditions and report during transportation. This report focusses on designing and testing the device for real time condition monitoring of consumer goods package during transportation. The proposed device, called Asset Condition Monitoring System, uses FTP protocol to transfer the GPS information along with monitored information through different sensors as an event over a GSM network to a server. The design can be adapted to any type of product. The prototype developed is equipped with different sensors that assess the environmental conditions along with some of mechanical aspects of the package throughout the transit.  The device is tested in a real time environment and provides information on the possible events that might compromise the integrity of the package. The system enables the customer to assess the quality of the package. The design is based on agile method in a user driven framework. The thesis design, model and tests the condition monitoring system according to the requirements and constraints, which can be different to different assets while considering packaging and mode of transportation. For this project, Seagate Hard Drives are considered as an asset to monitor.

The Internet of Things (IoT) provides smart solutions for future urban communities to address key benefits with the least human intercession. A smart home offers the necessary capabilities to promote efficiency and sustainability to a resident with their healthcare-related, social, and emotional needs. In particular, it provides an opportunity to assess the functional health ability of the elderly or individuals with cognitive impairment in performing daily life activities. This work proposes an approach named Cognitive Assessment of Smart Home Resident (CA-SHR) to measure the ability of smart home residents in executing simple to complex activities of daily living using pre-defined scores assigned by a neuropsychologist. CA-SHR also measures the quality of tasks performed by the participants using supervised classification. Furthermore, CA-SHR provides a temporal feature analysis to estimate if the temporal features help to detect impaired individuals effectively. The goal of this study is to detect cognitively impaired individuals in their early stages. CA-SHR assess the health condition of individuals through significant features and improving the representation of dementia patients. For the classification of individuals into healthy, Mild Cognitive Impaired (MCI), and dementia categories, we use ensemble AdaBoost. This results in improving the reliability of the CA-SHR through the correct assignment of labels to the smart home resident compared with existing techniques.

Background: Consumer smartwatches have gained attention as mobile health (mHealth) tools able to detect atrial fibrillation (AF) using photoplethysmography (PPG) or a short strip of electrocardiogram (ECG). PPG has limited accuracy due to the movement artifacts, whereas ECG cannot be used continuously, is usually displayed as a single-lead signal and is limited in asymptomatic cases. Objective: DoubleCheck-AF is a validation study of a wrist-worn device dedicated to providing both continuous PPG-based rhythm monitoring and instant 6-lead ECG with no wires. We evaluated its ability to differentiate between AF and sinus rhythm (SR) with particular emphasis on the challenge of frequent premature beats. Methods and Results: We performed a prospective, non-randomized study of 344 participants including 121 patients in AF. To challenge the specificity of the device two control groups were selected: 95 patients in stable SR and 128 patients in SR with frequent premature ventricular or atrial contractions (PVCs/PACs). All ECG tracings were labeled by two independent diagnosis-blinded cardiologists as “AF,” “SR” or “Cannot be concluded.” In case of disagreement, a third cardiologist was consulted. A simultaneously recorded ECG of Holter monitor served as a reference. It revealed a high burden of ectopy in the corresponding control group: 6.2 PVCs/PACs per minute, bigeminy/trigeminy episodes in 24.2% (31/128) and runs of ≥3 beats in 9.4% (12/128) of patients. AF detection with PPG-based algorithm, ECG of the wearable and combination of both yielded sensitivity and specificity of 94.2 and 96.9%; 99.2 and 99.1%; 94.2 and 99.6%, respectively. All seven false-positive PPGbased cases were from the frequent PVCs/PACs group compared to none from the stable SR group (P < 0.001). In the majority of these cases (6/7) cardiologists were able to correct the diagnosis to SR with the help of the ECG of the device (P = 0.012). Conclusions: This is the first wearable combining PPG-based AF detection algorithm for screening of AF together with an instant 6-lead ECG with no wires for manual rhythm confirmation. The system maintained high specificity despite a remarkable amount of frequent single or multiple premature contractions

Background: The VItal siGns monItoring with continuous puLse oximetry And wireless cliNiCian notification aftEr surgery (VIGILANCE) study was a randomized controlled trial designed to assess the impact of continuous vital sign monitoring with alerts to nursing staff on the incidence of postoperative complications in surgical ward patients. Multiple factors interfered with the eHealth intervention implementation and conduct of the VIGILANCE study. Through examination of these challenges, the overall aim of this thesis was to help foster an understanding of the difficulties related to eHealth intervention implementation. The specific objectives were to identify issues related to implementation of intervention system of the VIGILANCE study, and to evaluate the influence of these issues on intervention adoption. Methods: During the VIGILANCE study, issues affecting the implementation of the intervention were documented on case report forms, alarm event forms, and a nursing feedback questionnaire. In this thesis, the issues were identified and evaluated using the Clinical Adoption Framework. Results: The key issues identified include nursing workflow changes, patient withdrawal, wireless network connectivity, false alarms, monitor malfunction, probe issues, and wireless network standards. These issues affected the service, system and information quality. As a result, these issues impacted ‘access’ through decreased ability of nurses to make complete use of the monitors; ‘care quality’ of the trial intervention through decreased effectiveness; and ‘productivity’ through interference in the coordination of care, and thus decreased clinical adoption of the monitoring system. Conclusion: Patient monitoring with eHealth technology in surgical wards has the potential to improve patient outcomes. However, proper planning that includes engagement of front-line nurses, installation of appropriate wireless network infrastructure, and use of comfortable cableless devices are required to maximize the potential of continuous monitoring. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / The VIGILANCE study was a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of continuous vital signs monitoring with alerts to nurses on the incidence of postoperative complications in surgical ward patients. This thesis identified and evaluated issues with implementation of wireless monitoring systems in the hospital. During VIGILANCE study issues affecting the intervention implementation were documented on case report forms, alarm event forms, and nursing questionnaires. Data related to these issues were explored using the Clinical Adoption Framework. Identified issues included nursing workflow changes, patient withdrawal, wireless network connectivity, false alarms, monitor malfunction, probe issues, and wireless network standards. The issues affected ‘access’ through decreased ability of nurses to make complete use of the monitors; ‘care quality’ of the intervention through decreased effectiveness; and ‘productivity’ by interfering in the care coordination. Future studies should aim to include front-line nurses, appropriate wireless network, and comfortable cableless devices in their planning.

Mounting evidence suggests that large carnivores regulate the abundance and diversity of species at multiple trophic levels through cascading top-down effects. The fear large carnivores inspire in their prey may be a critical component of these top-down effects, buffering lower trophic levels from overconsumption by suppressing large herbivore and mesopredator foraging. However, the evidence that the fear of large carnivores cascades through food webs has been repeatedly challenged because it remains experimentally untested. My collaborators and I exploited a natural experiment – the presence or absence of mesopredator raccoons (Procyon lotor) on islands in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada – to examine the breadth of mesopredator impacts in a system from which all native large carnivores have been extirpated. By comparing prey abundance on islands with and without raccoons, we found significant negative effects of raccoon presence on terrestrial (songbirds and corvids), intertidal (crabs and fish) and shallow subtidal (red rock crabs Cancer productus) prey, demonstrating that, in the absence of native large carnivores, mesopredator impacts on islands can extend across ecosystem boundaries to affect both terrestrial and marine communities. To test whether fear of large carnivores can mitigate these community-level impacts of mesopredators, we experimentally manipulated fear in free-living raccoon populations using month-long playbacks of large carnivore vocalizations and monitored the effects on raccoon behaviour and the intertidal community. Fear of large carnivores reduced raccoon foraging to the benefit of the raccoon’s prey, which in turn affected a competitor and prey of the raccoon’s prey. By experimentally restoring the fear of large carnivores in our study system, we succeeded in reversing the impacts of raccoons, reinforcing the need to protect large carnivores given the conservation benefits the fear of them provides. Our experimental work demonstrated that fine-scale behavioural changes in prey in response to predation risk can have community-level effects relevant to biodiversity conservation. However, experimentally testing animal responses to predators and other sources of risk in free-living wildlife presents considerable logistical challenges. To address these challenges, my collaborators and I developed an Automated Behavioural Response system, which integrates playback experiments into camera trap studies, allowing researchers to collect experimental data from wildlife populations without requiring the presence of an observer. Here I describe tests of this system in Uganda, Canada and the USA, and discuss novel research opportunities in ecology and conservation biology made available by this new technology. / Graduate

A terapia do espelho, técnica utilizada no tratamento de pacientes em reabilitação neurológica, tem mostrado bons resultados a um custo relativamente baixo. Nessa terapia, um espelho é colocado ao longo do plano sagital mediano do paciente entre os dois membros, superiores ou inferiores, com o intuito de transmitir estímulos visuais para o cérebro para induzir a ilusão dos membros em questão estarem se deslocando de forma síncrona. Considerando a simplicidade, os resultados obtidos e o baixo custo da terapia do espelho, neste trabalho exploramos recursos tipicamente disponíveis em dispositivos móveis do tipo tablet e smartphones para propor um modelo de acompanhamento remoto baseado na gravação e no compartilhamento de vídeos de sessões de terapia do espelho considerando dois tipos de usuários: terapeutas e pacientes. O modelo é apresentado na forma de um protótipo de um sistema de acompanhamento remoto de pacientes que utilizam a terapia do espelho em sua reabilitação. Especialistas avaliaram que o sistema apresenta grande potencial no auxilio à reabilitação de membros superiores, podendo ser utilizado por qualquer paciente em reabilitação pela terapia do espelho devido à sua facilidade de uso. Entre os trabalhos futuros viabilizados pela versão atual do sistema estão testes com pacientes em tratamento para verificação das implicações resultantes de sua utilização. / The mirror therapy technique used in the treatment of patients in neurological rehabilitation has shown good results in a relatively low cost. In this therapy, a mirror is placed along the median sagittal plane of the patient between the two limbs, higher or lower, in order to transmit visual stimuli to the brain to induce the illusion of the limbs are moving synchronously. Considering the simplicity, the results obtained and the low cost of mirror therapy in this work we explore resources available on mobile devices like tablet and smartphones to propose a remote monitoring model based on recording and sharing videos of mirror therapy sessions considering two types of users: therapists and patients. The model is presented as a prototype of a remote monitoring system of patients that use mirror therapy in their rehabilitation. Experts evaluated that the system presents great potential to aid in the rehabilitation of the upper limbs and may be used by any patient due to its ease of use. Among the future work made possible by the current version of the system are the patients tests verifying the implications of the system in the therapy.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2016-02-18T13:57:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Henrique Tiggemann_.pdf: 3072800 bytes, checksum: d759a40bb6ab933bb882d6a0d2eb6a92 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-18T13:57:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Henrique Tiggemann_.pdf: 3072800 bytes, checksum: d759a40bb6ab933bb882d6a0d2eb6a92 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-09 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / PROSUP - Programa de Suporte à Pós-Gradução de Instituições de Ensino Particulares / A busca de novas alternativas para o suprimento de energia elétrica em comunidades isoladas sempre foi um desafio motivacional tanto de âmbito cientifico quanto social. Busca-se uma solução robusta, que consiga suprir a demanda solicitada da melhor forma possível e com o menor impacto ambiental. São apresentados neste trabalho a caracterização e o desenvolvimento de uma microrrede híbrida fotovoltaica, conectada a um simulador de carga experimental com suporte a acesso remoto. A microrrede é constituída de quatro módulos fotovoltaicos de duas tecnologias, mono e multicristalino, totalizando 570 W pico de potência e com capacidade máxima de suprir um conjunto de cargas de até 1 kW em tensão alternada de 220 V. Também faz parte da microrrede um banco de estocagem inicial de energia de 200 Ah com tensão nominal de 24 V, formado por baterias seladas associadas em série/paralelo e um quadro de comando onde fica situado o controlador Arduíno e demais componentes de conversão de energia. Para avaliar a microrrede em dias que o banco de estocagem estiver em nível mínimo, foi utilizada a rede da concessionária simulando uma fonte alternativa de energia, que pode ser pilha combustível, gerador a diesel, etc. Foi observado por meio de medições elétricas obtidas pelo sistema de aquisição que a microrrede está funcionando adequadamente. As cargas conectadas nesta microrrede são alimentadas segundo um perfil de funcionamento preestabelecido no projeto, com consumo diário de 962 Wh. Este perfil foi construído segundo um número de horas diárias para o funcionamento de cada carga da residência, podendo ser modificado pelo usuário visando uma economia de energia. A interrupção das cargas não prioritárias pode ser também realizada a distância. O sistema é monitorado e gerenciado através de um controlador Arduíno, e o acesso remoto realizado através de um computador conectado à rede de dados (internet). Tal acesso remoto permite visualizar o comportamento elétrico e energético da microrrede além de possibilitar a utilização do sistema para experimentos técnicos e implementação de novas ações de controle à distância. A microrrede está instalada no prédio C02 da UNISINOS. / The search for new alternatives for energy supply in island communities has always been a motivational challenge in the scientific and societal context. The aim is a robust solution which is able to meet the demand requested in the best way as possible and with the least environmental impact. Is being presented in this work the characterization and the development of a hybrid photovoltaic microgrid, connected to an experimental load simulator that supports remote access. The microgrid consists of four photovoltaic modules of two technologies, monocrystalline and multicrystalline totaling 570 W peak power and capacity to supply loads of up to 1 kW with alternating voltage of 220 V. Is also part of the microgrid an initial storage power bank of 200 Ah with a nominal voltage of 24 V, consisting of sealed batteries linked in series / parallel, and a control panel where the Arduino controller is located and other power conversion components. To assess the microgrid in days of the storage bank is at minimum, the power line grid was used to simulate an alternative source of energy, which can be fuel cell, diesel generator, etc. Has been observed through electrical measurements obtained by the acquisition system that the microrrede is working properly. Loads connected in this microgrid are powered according to operating profile predetermined in the project, with daily consumption of 962 Wh. This profile has been built according to a number of daily hours of operation of each residence load and can be modified by the user aiming energy savings. The interruption of non-priority loads can also be performed virtually. The system is monitored and managed through an Arduino controller, and remote access done through a computer connected to the data network (internet). Such remote access allows viewing the electrical and energetic behavior of the microrrede besides enabling the use of the system for technical experiments and implementing new distance control actions. The microgrid is installed on the C02 building at UNISINOS.

A terapia do espelho, técnica utilizada no tratamento de pacientes em reabilitação neurológica, tem mostrado bons resultados a um custo relativamente baixo. Nessa terapia, um espelho é colocado ao longo do plano sagital mediano do paciente entre os dois membros, superiores ou inferiores, com o intuito de transmitir estímulos visuais para o cérebro para induzir a ilusão dos membros em questão estarem se deslocando de forma síncrona. Considerando a simplicidade, os resultados obtidos e o baixo custo da terapia do espelho, neste trabalho exploramos recursos tipicamente disponíveis em dispositivos móveis do tipo tablet e smartphones para propor um modelo de acompanhamento remoto baseado na gravação e no compartilhamento de vídeos de sessões de terapia do espelho considerando dois tipos de usuários: terapeutas e pacientes. O modelo é apresentado na forma de um protótipo de um sistema de acompanhamento remoto de pacientes que utilizam a terapia do espelho em sua reabilitação. Especialistas avaliaram que o sistema apresenta grande potencial no auxilio à reabilitação de membros superiores, podendo ser utilizado por qualquer paciente em reabilitação pela terapia do espelho devido à sua facilidade de uso. Entre os trabalhos futuros viabilizados pela versão atual do sistema estão testes com pacientes em tratamento para verificação das implicações resultantes de sua utilização. / The mirror therapy technique used in the treatment of patients in neurological rehabilitation has shown good results in a relatively low cost. In this therapy, a mirror is placed along the median sagittal plane of the patient between the two limbs, higher or lower, in order to transmit visual stimuli to the brain to induce the illusion of the limbs are moving synchronously. Considering the simplicity, the results obtained and the low cost of mirror therapy in this work we explore resources available on mobile devices like tablet and smartphones to propose a remote monitoring model based on recording and sharing videos of mirror therapy sessions considering two types of users: therapists and patients. The model is presented as a prototype of a remote monitoring system of patients that use mirror therapy in their rehabilitation. Experts evaluated that the system presents great potential to aid in the rehabilitation of the upper limbs and may be used by any patient due to its ease of use. Among the future work made possible by the current version of the system are the patients tests verifying the implications of the system in the therapy.

Στην εποχή της Κοινωνίας της Πληροφορίας, η υψηλού επιπέδου υγειονομική περίθαλψη αποτελεί σημαντική ανάγκη για τον ανθρώπινο πληθυσμό. Η σύγχρονη τεχνολογία και επιστήμη έχει συμβάλει στην παροχή βελτιωμένων υπηρεσιών υγείας, σε όλες τις ομάδες ατόμων που αντιμετωπίζουν διάφορα και σημαντικά προβλήματα, όπως τα άτομα με κινητικές αναπηρίες,με προβλήματα όρασης, μνήμης, ακοής καθώς και τα άτομα της τρίτης ηλικίας. Εντούτοις, το πρόβλημα στην επαρκή και αποτελεσματική υγειονομική περίθαλψη για τους ηλικιωμένους και τους κατοίκους των νησιών ή άλλων περιοχών με απομακρυσμένη πρόσβαση, δεν ήταν ποτέ πιο επίκαιρο απ’ ότι είναι σήμερα. Τα στοιχεία της Ευρωπαϊκής Στατιστικής Υπηρεσίας «Eurostat», έδειξαν ότι το 2008, στην Ελλάδα, οι πολίτες άνω των 65 ετών αντιπροσώπευαν το 19% του πληθυσμού, ποσοστό που τείνει να αυξηθεί στο 31%, έως το 2050. Τούτο συνεπάγεται ότι ο πληθυσμός «γερνά» και οι απαιτήσεις στο επίπεδο της ιατρικής πρόληψης, διάγνωσης και παρέμβασης, αυξάνουν γεωμετρικά. Προκειμένου να αντιμετωπισθεί το πρόβλημα, αλλά και να βελτιωθεί η υφιστάμενη παροχή υπηρεσιών υγείας, η αναγκαιότητα για την ανάπτυξη της Ευρυζωνικότητας (broad banding), και την αύξηση της χρήσης των Τηλεματικών ιατρικών εφαρμογών, είναι τόσο προφανής, όσο και αναγκαία. Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία αποσκοπεί στην περιγραφή και παρουσίαση ,τόσο της σημασίας όσο και της χρήσης της Ευρυζωνικότητας, καλύπτοντας τις σύγχρονες απαιτήσεις και προκλήσεις στο χώρο της Υγείας. Επίσης, παρουσιάζονται παραδείγματα των ευρυζωνικών τηλεϊατρικών εφαρμογών σε διάφορες ειδικότητες της Ιατρικής επιστήμης, τα πλεονεκτήματα που προσφέρουν, καθώς και τους τρόπους με τους οποίους οι Τηλεπικοινωνίες και τα Eυρυζωνικά Δίκτυα εξασφαλίζουν την αποτελεσματική και ασφαλή συλλογή,επεξεργασία,αποστολή και αποθήκευση των ιατρικών δεδομένων. / In our days, we experience the significance and the power of the free flow of the digital information and that is a fact that depends on the new broadband technologies. The new age technology and science applications offer a wide variety of medical services to all the vulnerable to health problems social groups, such as people with special needs and disabilities, people who are vision impaired, memory impaired, people with motor disabilities or aged people. In addition, the problem for those social groups arises from the distant location of their homes, in cases of living on islands or in remote villages, or at gnarled areas where it is difficult for the local health providers to gain a foothold. The statistics of the European Statistic Service, named “Eurostat”, have informed us that for the year 2008 in Greece, the older than 65 years Greek citizens represent the 19 % of the general population and it is predicted that this percentage will grow up to 31% until the year of 2050. It emerges that the Greeks become elderly and the health requirements such as medical prevention, medical diagnosis and medical intervention, increase with a high rate. To overcome this situation, it is necessary to use the modern broadband technologies in the service of medicine as well as we need to learn and use the telematic applications in medicine with a better degree of effectiveness. This thesis intends to describe, on the one side the significance of using the modern broadband technologies to provide high level health services and on the other side to describe the ways that these technologies are capable of solving daily medical problems, such as remote patient monitoring, telediagnosis, teleconsultation etc. Last but not least, this thesis describes the ways that the telecommunication technologies can secure the collection, transfer, forwarding and elaboration of digital medical images.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-07-04T15:42:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 anneeliselandineferreira.pdf: 1810442 bytes, checksum: 8c99cf95376ca26c12a8487c26e8750e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-08-08T13:36:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 anneeliselandineferreira.pdf: 1810442 bytes, checksum: 8c99cf95376ca26c12a8487c26e8750e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-08T13:36:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 anneeliselandineferreira.pdf: 1810442 bytes, checksum: 8c99cf95376ca26c12a8487c26e8750e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-20 / A movimentação dos organismos pode ser considerada uma resposta comportamental mensurável, resultante da combinação de fatores ambientais, estados internos e restrições fisiológicas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar e caracterizar os diferentes padrões de movimentação realizados pelas baleias jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae), em relação ao gênero e o papel social. Dados de localização por telemetria satelital foram filtrados e modelados pelo Modelo de Estado e Espaço (State-Space Model). A rota obtida foi divida em área de alimentação e rota migratória, considerando como limite a isóbata de 500m. A partir disso, foram calculados os ângulos de virada e as frequências com que ocorrem para o lado direito e esquerdo, utilizando o programa ArcGIS 9.3 e o programa livre R. As médias das angulações variaram significativamente, tanto para o lado esquerdo, quanto para o lado direito na análise comparativa das duas áreas, considerando conjunto total dos grupos. Fêmeas com filhote apresentaram valores de significância maior para ambos os lados, enquanto machos exibiram angulações mais proeminentes para o lado direito. A frequência média relativa de virada para a direita e para a esquerda, mostraram-se significativamente diferentes quando comparadas entre machos, fêmeas e fêmeas com filhote, na área de reprodução, bem como o papel social. Animais categorizados como mães, realizaram mais viradas para ambas as direções, em relação à acompanhantes e animais adultos sem presença de filhote. Concluímos que os animais, quando na área de alimentação, realizam movimentos mais irregulares e que fêmeas apresentam mais variação na movimentação quando associadas a filhotes. Novas ferramentas devem ser associadas à técnica de telemetria para obtenção de dados de fina escala, a fim de avaliar de forma mais apurada a movimentação dos animais. / Organisms movements may be considered a measurable behavioral response which outcomes from a combination of environmental factors, internal states and physiological restrictions. In this work, our goal was to evaluate and characterize the different patterns of movements of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski, 1781), regarding gender and social role. Location data obtained with satellite telemetry were filtered and patterned by State - Space Model. The obtained route was divided in feeding area and migration route going from the isobath of 500 m. In this context, the turning angles and their frequencies to the right and to the left were calculated using ArcGIS 9.3 and the open source software R. The average angulations varied significantly, both to the left and right sides, in the comparative analysis of the areas regarding the whole group. Females with calf showed more significant differences to both directions, while males presented more prominent angles to the right side. The average frequencies for the moves facing right and left turned out to be significantly different when correlated between males, females and females with calf, in the reproduction areas, as well as the social role. Animals categorized as mothers presented more turns to both directions, when compared to companions and adult animals without calves. We have concluded that when the animals are in feeding area, they present more irregular movements and that females with calf are the ones with the highest movement variation. New tools should be associated with the satellite telemetry in order to obtain fine scale data providing a more accurate form to evaluate the animal movement.